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Monday, March 28, 2011

Childbirth costs free - congratulations Indonesian women

This is a very good news for Indonesian women, especially mothers. Karolin Margaret Natasa, a member of commission IX People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia said that this year the central government freeing the childbirth costs for the whole citizen. According to minister, government has budgeted Rp 1.2 trillion in the state budget 2011, and each city / district will get the allocation of Rp 2 billion to free up the childbirth costs.

Although this program applies to everyone, it seems the program is intended for the poor because Karolin says: "Jika masyarakat mampu juga ingin persalinannya gratis silakan saja, asalkan mau ditempatkan di rumah sakit kelas III. Kalau rumah sakit kelas mewah, jelas tidak bisa diberlakukan". (English: "If rich people also want it free for childbirth, go ahead, provided that they're willing to be placed in third class hospital. If luxury hospital, obviously not included in this program")

For me who lives in Indonesia of course this is an excellent news. But unfortunately when I convey this news to my wife and people around me, they did not know it. This proves that this program has not been socialized properly until the grass root. I realize that this takes time, but the government needs to immediately disseminate this program until grassroot, especially for rural society where they are the most in need.

Here I am still thinking whether this program for freeing the childbirth costs will trigger a boom in births in Indonesia, it means will disturb the birth control program. Whatever it is, congratulations for Indonesian women!

== Additional update on 29 March 2011 ==

Actually the plan of this program has been published in September 2010 through the official website of Health Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia. In there explained that in order to reduce the "Maternal Mortality Rate" and "Infant Mortality Rate", Health Ministry creates what's called "new iniciative", namely provides service for childbirth with the cost borne by the government. But again, when just last afternoon I was visiting my niece who was hospitalized due to illness, I just asked a mother who was accompanying his son in the same hospital by asking if she knew that the childbirth costs borne by the government? The answer was "not yet". Hopefully fellows blogger in Indonesia willing to spread this news in their respective area.

One of the targets of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to reduce the ratio of maternal mortality by three quarters from 1990 to 2015. Can Indonesia successfully achieve this target at the end of 2015?
Hmm... :( well, perhaps a news titled "A matter of life and death" from the Jakarta Post able to stimulate you to answer, and below I quotes four important points that makes me very focused (I'm sorry for a bit sad news, mothers):

Many families prefer to use a dukun (traditional healer or shaman) because of traditional beliefs and because it is cheaper than using a trained midwife or going to the hospital. These traditional birth attendants usually perform household chores while the mother recovers. In many rural areas in Indonesia, traditional ways of delivering babies still exist.

Of the 11 countries that contribute to 65 percent to global maternal death, five are in Asian countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan India and Afghanistan.

Indonesia is among Asian countries that have a limited national health budget at only 2.4 percent of the state budget, far below the World Health Organization (WHO)’s standard of at least five percent of the state budget.

According to a study by Ascorbat Gani, medical professor at the University of Indonesia, decentralization of health authority from central to provincial and regional governments has worsened the women and children’s health conditions.

@ Colson,Actually this program was reported last year in September through the website of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.http://www.depkes.go.id/index.php/berita/press-release/1226-mdgs-tanggung-jawab-pemerintah-kepada-rakyat.html

@ Evy,I also feels what you feel. You are right! Let's see where the budget flows.I still can not understand what is meant by Ascorbat Gani with his studies (point no.4 above). What is its correlation between decentralization and worsened the women and children's health conditions. I still need to explore this point.

@ TiknoCommendable move by the Indonesian gov.At least one less burden for the poor..

But would it really make a difference in Indonesia's child birth rate ? Like you said many people rely on thedukun, so will having free facilitieschange their "mating" pattern or triggerthem to have more offsprings ? Ha ha just some food for thought...

The intention is very good by your government and lets us hope the implementation is also smoothly executed. I am sure if this program goes through as planned, Indonesia will see the new baby boom very soon.

@ Laras,As Indonesian blogger please post this news to your blog. The more of Indonesian bloggers spread this news, the more Indonesian women (who deserved to get this service) knows, and the more we can creates the extraordinary voices to be heard. Would you?

hi tikno! this is good news for the people of Indonesia.In the Philippines we have public hospitals which (I think) is free for childbirth BUT the patient will have to buy for whatever medicine she would need that is not available in the hospital pharmacy.